xlvi Report to the General Meeting. 



tural Society of Scotland, and to the Royal Agricultural Im- 

 provement Society of Ireland. Professor Simonds has also made 

 several verbal reports to the Council on his investigations into 

 the nature oi diseases which have broken out in several parts of 

 the country among the cattle and sheep of members of the 

 Society. 



The Salisbury Meeting has been one of the most remarkable 

 assemblages of live-stock and implements ever held in this 

 country. Almost uniform excellence distinguished the several 

 classes of animals exhibited, v^hile the implements were marked 

 by a high degree of simplicity combined with efficiency. The 

 Show itself was one of the largest ever held by the Society, 

 and was attended by a greater number of visitors than on any 

 former occasion. The success of that meeting affords to the 

 Council a well-grounded assurance of the practical value of the 

 Society's operations in carrying out the great national objects for 

 which it was founded ; and encourages them in their continued, 

 endeavours to render the future country meetings still more effec- 

 tive, without infringing to an injurious extent upon the financial 

 resources of the Society. In order to combine these objects the 

 Council have under consideration the adoption of several plans 

 which appear likely to lead to improved arrangements in the 

 Country Meeting department. The Mayor and Corporation of 

 Salisbury and the Local Committee co-operated most cordially 

 with the Council in carrying out the details of the Meeting and 

 bringing it to so successful an issue ; and the Members were 

 indebted to the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, for the reception he 

 gave them at Wilton ; to Mr. Rawlence and Mr. Squarey, for the 

 inspection of their water-meadows ; and to the latter gentleman, 

 for the interesting lecture he delivered on the occasion, in ex- 

 planation of their construction and peculiar value ; as well as to 

 Mr. Stephen Mills for his invitation to inspect the light-land 

 system of Wiltshire farming, as carried out on his own extensive 

 farms in that county. 



The Country Meeting to be held next year at Chester will be 

 distinguished by the unusual amount of Local Prizes placed at 

 the disposal of tl.e Society by the Local Committee of that city, 

 by the triennial exhibition and trial of steam-engines and agricul- 



